The best of both worlds: Austrian & Italian delicacies at the Bolzano market

We were lucky enough to be passing through Bolzano on a Saturday morning – market day – and enjoyed our brief walk around the city in a dazzling (and unusual) sunny February day that felt like May.

For those who don’t know the northern Italian city of Bolzano, it is the regional capital of the Alto-Adige side of Trentino Alto-Adige (Trento is the regional capital of the Trentino side).

This is the area of Italy with a large Austrian minority, and it maintains regional autonomy. The city is officially bilingual, and both German and Italian are taught in the schools.

The outdoor market reflects this diversity – with pasta and prosciutto alongside knoedel, wuerstel and pretzels.

It’s definitely worth a wander to enjoy all that’s on offer.

During our short stay, we already had bags filled to overflowing, but who could resist? We returned home to Rome with new shopping bags filled with specialties of Alto-Adige. Keep in mind that shops and stands can often vacuum pack to keep products fresh for your trip back home.

Although our ski holiday was (sadly) over, it somehow softened the blow to return to daily life/chaos in Rome while still dining each evening on the specialties of Alto Adige.